Large bear spotted in Glendale neighborhood

Animal seen going through trash bins is described as 500 to 800 pounds.

December 10, 2012|By Veronica Rocha, veronica.rocha@latimes.com

A large black bear was spotted Sunday night digging through a trash bin in a Chevy Chase Canyon neighborhood, police said.

The bear, which residents described as between 500 and 800 pounds, was sifting through an outdoor trash bin in the 3200 block of Cornwall Drive, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

Officials said the size of the bear, if accurate, is extremely rare.

Glendale police who responded to the scene flashed their patrol car lights and used an air horn to scare the bear off into a nearby hillside and out of sight.

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Residents have reported seeing the bear every day over the last week, Lorenz said.

While most bears hibernate in winter, the unseasonably high temperatures have kept some of them outdoors, said Andrew Hughan, spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Game.

“They are getting there, but look at how warm it is,” he said. “These ones that are up got to eat.”

It wouldn’t be the first time a bear has chosen what’s on the menu in Glendale, where “Meatball” captured the national media spotlight earlier this year after repeated visits and, eventually, permanent relocation to a wildlife sanctuary.

For the most part, Hughan said bear activity in Glendale has been “very quiet” since Meatball’s capture.